Shares in Trump’s Truth Social fall following presidential debate

(NEW YORK) — Shares in former President Donald Trump’s social media company fell more than 12% Wednesday morning on the heels of Tuesday’s presidential debate, which a CNN poll indicated was won by Vice President Kamala Harris.

Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, were trading Wednesday at the lowest level since the company first went public — a drop of more than 70% since a closing high of $66.22 on March 27.

As of noon, the company’s shares were selling for $16.29.

For some investors, Trump Media serves as a bellwether for the former president’s odds in the upcoming presidential election. When Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in New York in May, the company’s stock price tumbled — but the stock surged in the days following the July presidential debate and the assassination attempt on the former president.

Analysts have said that the company’s stock performance is removed from the financial outlook of the company, which reported losing more than $16 million over a three-month period ending in June during which it only brought in $836,000 in revenue.

The stock price has been buoyed by a number of passionate individual investors who bought shares in the company to support Trump or because they believe in the company’s mission.

Next week, Trump faces a pivotal choice about his investment in the company. The lockup provision that barred him from selling his shares for the first six months since the company went public expires next week, meaning that Trump could begin selling his shares in the company as early as Sept. 19.

According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Trump owns approximately 115 million shares of the company, which are worth nearly $2 billion based on Wednesday’s stock price.

On paper, Trump has lost more than $4 billion in his stake over the last six months as the company’s stock price has declined.

A representative for Trump Media & Technology Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

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